ABSTRACT
The Constitution of the Empire of Japan was promulgated by Meiji Tennō on the nth of February 1889, that day being the National Festival of Kigensetsu, or the anniversary of the foundation of the Empire by the First Emperor Jimmu Tennō. In the framing of this Constitution, Prince Hirobumi Itō (then Count) (伊藤博文), with many high officials, was first sent to Europe with the Imperial commission to examine the constitutions of Western countries, and the principles which find a place in the component elements of constitutional governments have been mostly adopted, so far as they are consistent with the fundamental principle of the form of the Imperial Government, which existed from the beginning of the Empire. That fundamental principle is clearly stated in the ist Article of the Constitution : “The Empire of Japan shall be reigned over and governed by a line of Emperors unbroken for ages eternal.” Prince Itō, in his “Commentaries on the Constitution” (憲法義解, translated into English by Viscount Miyoji Itō 伊東巳代治), says :—“The Sacred Throne of Japan is inherited from Imperial Ancestors, and is to be bequeathed to posterity; in it resides the power to reign over and govern the State.” From this it will be seen that the foundation of the Constitution is the worship of the Imperial Ancestors, a fact which is definitely set forth in the Preamble of the Constitution which runs thus :—
